Simplicity

When I came to RBC in 1999, many students enrolled in a class called “Peace, Justice, and Simplicity.” I never took that class. As a brash 19-year-old looking to conquer the world, nothing about the word “simplicity” captured my imagination. To me, simple was synonymous with uninteresting.

Time changed my perspective. Paul encourages believers to “live a quiet life” (1 Thess. 4:11). Some translations render “quiet” as “peaceful.” Complexity often disturbs peace. People who live at peace have usually learned to simplify the complex.

Perhaps it’s a midlife shift, a clearer recognition of reality, or a longing from Jesus; whatever it is, a significant portion of my life and work now revolves around simplifying complexity.

The questions I keep asking are:

• Are there “things” that can be discarded? Everything we keep requires maintenance, and maintenance requires time and energy.
• Are there “systems” that can be created? All new thinking and living requires new patterns to last and not create fresh problems. Effective systems establish reliable patterns so the mind is free to focus on what matters instead of solving same problems over and over.

Simplicity frees the mind and heart. May God give you grace to release unnecessary complexity!